Football
Features
Chinese football tackles salary reduction
Shen Jiang, senior associate at Jingtian & Gongcheng, and Luca Ferrari, partner and global head of sports at Withers, consider the legal issues around the player wage reductions now agreed by all Chinese Super league clubs
Falling transfer fees to be a marker for football’s post-Covid-19 austerity era
Omar Chaudhuri, chief intelligence officer at 21st Club, reflects on how the transfer market will change and impact clubs of all sizes during and after the Covid-19 crisis
A ticketing conundrum in the post-Covid world
Nick White, partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, discusses the implications and impacts of the Covid-19 hiatus on ticketing.
Fiorentina’s Joe Barone – A salary cap won’t work without Fifa mandate
In the third and final part of our interview, Fiorentina general director Joe Barone says that while a salary cap might work in US sport it would create competitive imbalance in European football unless …
Is playing football behind closed doors always the best medicine?
Behind closed doors matches are not a panacea for the impact of Covid-19, nor are they always better than not playing at all.
Ekstraklasa pens European broadcast deals ahead of restart
Poland’s Ekstraklasa has struck broadcast deals in some key European markets as the league continues its preparations to return to action on May 29 following the Covid-19 shutdown.
Mexico’s Tigres sign up Sponsor.Online platform
Mexican football club Tigres UANL has signed up with football sponsorship platform Sponsor.Online.
The club aims to expand its global presence via Sponsor
MLS Orlando tournament format taking shape
Major League Soccer's planned mini-tournament in Orlando, Florida, this summer is poised to comprise of four groups, with the top two advancing to a knockout round
Amazon continues non-exclusive Bundesliga coverage in new agreement
Retail giant Amazon has reached an agreement for its Prime Video service to provide live coverage of two more German Bundesliga matches this weekend for subscribers in Germany and Austria
Fiorentina’s Joe Barone – Overseas investment shows belief in the commercial potential of Serie A
In part two of a three-part interview, Fiorentina general director Joe Barone explains why lack of modern infrastructure limits gameday revenue and impacts competition, and outlines his club's infrastructure…
Fiorentina’s Joe Barone on Covid-19: Uncertainty and a lack of protocol is tough to deal with
In part one of a three-part interview, Joe Barone, director general of Italian Serie A club Fiorentina, discusses the challenges of running a club in lockdown, the accelerated focus on going digital, the…
KBO and K League create templates for the return of sport
Korea’s football and baseball leagues have published detailed guidelines governing their resumptions this week.
Umberto Gandini – Most Serie A clubs face difficulties if rights fees are withheld
In part one of a two-part video discussion, Umberto Gandini speaks to SB24's Kevin Roberts
The outgoing AFC general counsel on the challenge of match-fixing in Asian football
Benoit Pasquier has been the Asian Football Confederation’s general counsel and director of legal affairs since 2013.
Virtual cuppas and food bank donations: How football clubs are supporting communities during lockdown
Adam Nelson takes a look at how the community initiatives at Liverpool FC and Everton FC are providing fans with much-needed support during the Covid-19 lockdown.
‘Some clubs will really struggle’ | Tifosy CEO Fausto Zanetton on surviving the shutdown
Fausto Zanetton, chief executive of Tifosy Capital & Advisory, discusses why player salaries have become such a burning issue for clubs, the knock-on affects of France’s media rights cycle, and the potential long-term impacts of the shutdown.
Mixed fortunes for Australian rights-holders amid Covid-19 crisis
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit Australia’s major sports with varying degrees of severity.
Lower league football | Exeter City’s turbulent past equips it to cope with Covid-19 crisis
English lower league club Exeter City's personal commitment to commercial partners has put the club on solid ground during the Covid-19 crisis. Callum McCarthy speak to club chairman Julian Tagg about the club's journey thus far and the hard road ahead.
‘Stop broadcasting, start interacting’ | The importance of digital engagement during sport’s shutdown
Adam Nelson speaks with a range of experts from across the digital space about how rights-holders and clubs can utilise digital content to both engage fanbases and provide a platform for their sponsors during the Covid-19-mandated shutdown.
European football stocks are undervalued says Ajax and OL investor
The MAPFRE AM asset management fund thinks European football stocks are undervalued in comparison with US franchises. Equity portfolio manager Luis García Álvarez explains why the company is taking a bet on Ajax and Olympic Lyon
New York City FC feels ‘pain’ of stadium saga after being forced to play at Red Bull Arena
NYCFC CEO Brad Sims talks to Bob Williams about the MLS club's long-running search for a building of their own and why uncomfortable interim steps have happened
USL celebrates 10th season, aspiring to be a global top-10 league
Ahead of its 10th season, which kicks off this weekend, the United Soccer League has taken numerous steps to bolster its commercial structure to help prepare for another decade of growth. Bob Williams reports.
CFA regulations create casualties on Chinese football clubs’ hard road to sustainability
The Chinese Football Association’s tough line on football club finances has cooled spending at the top level and is pushing lower-tier teams toward oblivion. Chen Yaolin reports.
Fifa declares mission accomplished at Caf, but which mission?
Fifa's six-month takeover of the Confederation of African Football was promised to result in better governance and financial controls. Callum McCarthy investigates whether CAF can be trusted to deliver on those promises without supervision.
Nashville SC eager to make up for lost time in MLS after overcoming stadium setback
Bob Williams takes a look at the developments in Nashville since the city was awarded a Major League Soccer expansion team in December 2017, and the challenges faced during this period.
BT’s ‘Beyond Limits’ rebrand informs CSR-focused partnerships with Home Nations FAs
The telecommunication company’s 2019 rebrand saw it move toward a focus on community and social engagement, something it is intending to carry through into its lead partnerships of all four UK football associations.